Ritualistic Presentations: a BIC Tale
by J. Maria
Summary: AU. Booth gives Brennan a gift.


Series:Twelve Days of Christmas  
Title: January Fifth  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: Er, Fox, Hanson, and Reichs own all things Bones  
Fandom(s): Bones  
Character(s): Seeley Booth/Temperance Brennen  
Spoilers: Seasons 1 and 2, none for 3 (because I havent seen any of the eps)  
Summary: Not all gifts come to us on Christmas Day - I dont know what that means.  
Words: 775  
A/N: kinda a happy ending...set 5 years after the Pilot, but AU after season 2.  
Dedication: To caitriona_3, who requested the characters.

**__**

Twelve Days of Christmas  
January Fifth  
The SUV

"Limitations, boundaries, these things are all self-imposed on societies and civilizations. Nothing is ever completely freely given -"

"Bones, just take the gift and stop trying to stall."

"I'm not trying to stall. Its just that while this is a well-intoned social gesture, I really don't find it necessary -"

"Will you just open the package?" Special Agent Seeley Booth groaned, swiping a hand over his eyes in frustration.

"Christmas was eleven days ago."

"Its called little Christmas, Bones."

"Its a part of a mythos that perpetuates the economy into an upward climb. Hey!" Dr. Temperance Brennan slapped at Booth's hand as he tried to yank it back.

"Its not a myth, Bones, its _the Bible_ -"

"I said mythos, not myth."

"And if you don't want the gift -"

"I didn't say I didn't want it," Temperance frowned, biting at the inside of her cheek. "I just said it wasn't necessary."

"That's the point of a gift, Bones, its not always necessary."

Temperance pulled back at the silver ribbon on the rectangular box. She carefully peeled back the tape on the edges of the red and silver paper, not wanting to tear it. Booth gave an irritated sigh and clenched his jaw.

"If you want to give me unnecessary but nice gifts, you have to let me open them my way."

"Its not a bomb, Bones. It's not gonna go off if you rip open the paper."

"Someone almost blew up last time we rushed."

"That was Zack, so it doesn't count."

"There, I'm done."

She pulled out the bracelet box and gave Booth a questioning look. Temperance smoothed the paper underneath the box, careful not to tear or crinkle it too much. She pulled open the lid and sucked in a deep breath, her throat tight and her sight wavered a bit.

"Five years, bout time to do something about it, don't you think?" Booth said quietly.

"It has not been five years -"

"Three years with two before it with us both pussy-footing it around, Bones, makes five years."

"I don't know what that means. And its barely been two and a half years -"

"Temperance, will you marry me or not?"

"Marriage is -"

"An unhealthy male oriented ritual of claiming?" Booth's jaw got tighter.

"No, not necessarily. I'm just not - you will want -"

"Children? I've got Parker and I know you don't really want kids -"

"Well, that's not necessarily true either, given the certain set of circumstances I'm in -"

"Wait, what?"

"I may or may not be fertile at this time -"

"Bones? Fertile _how_?"

"About six weeks fertile, give or take - "

"Six weeks? You're six weeks pregnant and you let yourself get shot at not twenty minutes ago?"

"You wouldn't let me go out with you if you knew -"

"That you're carrying my child? Gee, Bones, I wonder why that is?" Booth shouted.

"Its an irrational desire for you to feel like you need to protect me, and then you'll demand that I spend less time at the Jeffersonian and out of the field, and not visiting my father - all because of a ring and a baby," Temperance frowned. "Well, _two_ rings and a baby."

"Or two rings and two babies - why two rings?"

"My mother's family ring, and why two babies?"

"Twins run in my family, its a possibility. So are you saying yes?"

"Well, its not because of the offspring," Temperance frowned. "And I'm keeping my name."

"Of course you are, because there's no one alive to take on your fake family name," Booth snorted.

"Its not that, its just my career."

"You can still use Brennan for - wait, you haven't even said yes. And I didn't propose because of the offspring, which is a really cold way to say babies, Bones."

"Fetus?"

"Getting colder, Bones."

"I know its not because of the - its only one at the moment that I know of, Booth."

"I proposed to Rebecca when she was pregnant. People are gonna wonder -"

"Its because we caught fire, not because of the - you know -"

"Caught fire? Which time? We've -"

"Its a metaphor, Booth."

"I knew that. Its just that we actually _have _caught on fire before, Bones, so next time don't try and be more non-squinty, okay?"

"I wasn't trying to - I..."

And the sapphire and diamond ring sat in its sea of pale blue silk, the silver sparkling on the engravings of the dolphin and patella on the inside of the band as the two partners continued to argue over semantics.


End file.
